Autumn Rail Vacations through Fall Foliage

Autumn is a perfect time of year to travel. Temperatures are moderate, the crowds of summer vacationers have dissipated and the scenery in many parts of North America are bursting with vibrant colors. These annual displays of nature are the basis of many of Vacations By Rail’s popular autumn rail tours—where the only things more brilliant than the fall colors are the scenic train excursions that take travelers through the spectacular scenery.

One of the premier autumn travel destinations is New England, renowned for its spectacular red, orange and gold foliage on display. Fall foliage rail vacations visit popular New England sights like Boston, Mystic Seaport, the Breakers mansion, White Mountain National Forest and Cape Cod and include spectacular train excursions throughout the region including the Mt. Washington Cog Railway, the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway with some of the steepest railway tracks in existence, the Conway Scenic Railroad, the Cape Cod Central Railroad, and the Essex Steam Train, among others. Some tours, like the 8-day fall foliage favorite New England Rails and Sails, also include scenic lake and harbor cruises, which offer a unique perspective on the stunning colors.

Travelers wishing to double the amount of fall colors in their autumn vacation need not look further than the dual-country Fall Colors of Quebec & Vermont tour. Highlights of this 8-day U.S.-Canada itinerary include travel aboard the vintage Montreal Limited from New York to Montreal, VIA Rail from Montreal to Quebec City, an excursion along Lake Champlain aboard the Champlain Mountain Flyer and Amtrak’s Vermonter to New York as well as sightseeing in Montreal, Quebec City, Burlington and Stowe.

While leaf-peepers generally flock to New England, fall colors can be found throughout the Midwest states and the Smoky Mountains with popular rail vacations to match. Fall foliage rail vacations start at $1,698 land-only, per person based on double occupancy. All tours have limited departure dates due to the short window between late September and mid-October when the colors are at their peak.

To book your fall foliage rail vacation, call a Vacations By Rail travel specialist at 877-929-7245 or visit www.vacationsbyrail.com.

About Vacations by Rail: Vacations By Rail is the leading seller of rail travel and tours in North America and the trusted authority on rail vacations. Travelers can choose from the largest selection of independent rail vacations, escorted rail tours, and luxury rail journeys around the world. Vacations By Rail also provides virtually every European rail pass and ticket to meet customers’ European travel needs. For more information on Vacations By Rail and the company’s products, visit www.vacationsbyrail.com or call 1-877-929-7245.

Ellen Barone has been creating words and images for travel and tourism since 1998. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".